A Problem with Words
by nehimasgift
Summary: So that was hope she had seen.


**Title:** A Problem with Words  
**Pairings:** Cedric/Hermione  
**Summary:** So that _was_ hope she had seen.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** I can only dream it's mine but we all know it belongs to JK Rowling.  
**Author's Note:** For **skwidfan** and her request/challenge... So I couldn't resist :P OH! It's also a long one :D

* * *

_Of all the stupid thin-_

Cutting her thoughts off short, Hermione entered Myrtle's bathroom (which isn't occupied by Myrtle anymore as she likes to haunt the boys' loo now) and stamped around in frustration. She almost considered pulling her hair out in frustration but found that if she did, it'd come out in chucks leaving her with bald spots. Dumping her book bag onto the floor, the echo was loud enough to be heard down the hall but she didn't care. When did she have to think like a _girly_ girl? Has Lavender and Parvati enchanted her mind somehow?

As she started to pace, Hermione started to analyze the situation in her mind but there wasn't an answer to be found. For once, she was stumped and for what? A problem as trivial as a crush? Has she lost her mind! How could something like this get her kicked out of the library? The library for Merlin's sake! Groaning out in frustration, she started to bang her head against the wall before an image took control of her vision.

Shaking her head 'no', Hermione went up to the sink and turned on the faucet. Waiting for the water to become clear, she chanted out her current mantra while splashing cold water onto her face...

_I do not like him. I do not like him._

"I DO NOT LIKE HIM!"

"Excuse me?"

Jumping at the voice her eyes widened with fear. Looking around frantically for her book bag, she noticed that it was near the door in the way of a male shadow.

"Excuse me? Are you alright?"

Backing as far as she could to the wall, Hermione didn't dare move. Why did she have to be such an idiot! What did she have to shout that?

"Please say something, I know I heard you yell something about a 'him'?"

"I-I'm fine," she finally croaked but it barely came out as a whisper.

"Um, not that I don't care but please can you come out? I'd rather not come into _this_ particular bathroom."

She could hear the emphasis and nervousness in his voice but it wasn't as if she needed to know who it was... Oh no, she _knew_ that it was the Head Boy. The Golden Hufflepuff, co-winner of the Tri-Wizard tournament with Harry. The seeker and captain o-

"Hello?"

Swearing, she checked her pockets and found her wand. Pointing it at her bag, she called for with 'Accio!' before shouldering it. Putting her wand away, she checked to see that he was still standing there, shyly shifting his weight and book bag from one feet t-

_Shut up and get ready to bolt!_ her mind called.

"Right," she whispered to herself.

Hoping that she won't trip, she ran as fast as she could out of the bathroom never once noticing that her bag was actually open. That her book made a thump once it landed a few feet away from the Head Boy. She never even noticed that he had picked it up. Or that he looked at the loose scraps of paper... with her name on it.

* * *

Trudging to dinner, Hermione was one of the early birds there but she didn't plan on staying long. Only long enough to drink some pumpkin juice, eat a small portion, and grab a fruit. With Harry and Ron at Quidditch practice, Hermione got up just as the dinner rush came through the doors. Walking past the crowd, she made it outside never noticing the person waiting for her. She had begun to go up the main stairs when she felt a tap on her shoulders.

"Ye-" she started but stopped when she saw who it was.

"Hi Hermione. Is this yours?" Cedric asked extending a book out to her.

Glancing at the cover, she gave the tiniest of nod before taking it from him. She hoped that her face was calm and collected because she could feel heat spots starting to form on her cheeks. Turning around with an abrupt 'thanks' she was about to walk away when he stopped her.

"Math right? Muggle math?"

"Yes," she answered with her back to him.

"It-it's called algiber? No, algebra! Word problems right?"

Shifting a bit, she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. She couldn't tell what she saw but there was something there that made her heart beat a bit faster. Hope? Was it actually hope?

"Yes..." Hermione answered carefully.

"Doyutinkyucateacme?" Cedric questioned in a rush.

Hermione couldn't help but stare at his face with its rosy color, as if he had ran a marathon but focused on his question.

"What?"

She could see him swallow nervously, "Do... do you think... you c-can teach me? Those word problems I mean?"

"Why?" she narrowed her eyes instinctively.

"It's nothing bad! I swear!"

"Shouldn't you ea-"

"Already did. I asked one of the house elves to bring me something in the librar-"

"The library! You can't eat in the library! It's against the rules!" she hissed.

"Yes well you try staying in there half the day with no food, then we'll see."

_So it wasn't hope?_ she thought a bit dejectedly.

_Well what did you expect? A moonlit dinner and dance?_ her rational side fought back.

"Hermione?"

"What? Oh... well if you want but I'd like to get to some studying done."

"Right. How about tomorrow before and after dinner?"

"Before and after?"

She saw him color a bit more as Cedric shifted from his left to right foot, "That is if you don't mind."

"No I suppose I don't but I don't take to kindly with slackers."

"Great! You won't regret it. I promise."

"Fine. Tomorrow before and after dinner."

"It's a date."

Hermione thought it was odd, when she saw him widen his eyes in shock before running off. Shrugging it off, she started back up for the Common Room. It didn't take long until she said the password and entered the empty room. Sitting herself onto one of the big chairs, she stretched before looking through her old math book. Looking through the scraps she found the one she wanted but there was something else on it. Beneath her neat script was another's big scrawl.

_If Cedric can wax the floor in four hours, and I can wax it in nine, how long will it take for us to get it done together?_

**As long as it's a date, it doesn't matter. Although we might want to do something else other than wax floors... Um... Why are we waxing the floors?**

Thinking back to the encounter, she knew what she had missed.

_"It's a date."_

Smiling to herself, she continued to practice her word problems.

So that _was_ hope she had seen.


End file.
